Update 9 April 2010 Crossrail is still considering our request for Saturday hours of working to be 9am - 2pm instead of 8am -1pm. They haven't agreed but neither have they ruled it out. Crossrail still have not made any decision on the Moorfields site Update 11 March 2010 The BA has asked for hours of work at Haynes Street and Moorfields to be changed from 8 am-1 pm to 9 am-2 pm. Update on Crossrail to BAGC March 2010 Two meetings took place with Crossrail in February, one an informal briefing about Liverpool Street Station at Moorgate and the other the first of the Barbican Crossrail Forum. 1) Liverpool Street Station/west entrance at Moorgate The original intention had been to build the Crossrail ticket hall at basement level underneath the main Moorgate Station (i.e. the bit between Moorfields and Moorgate). That would not have affected escalator or ramp access to the Highwalk. The Crossrail team are now working on a different plan, to building a ground level joint ticket hall for Crossrail and London Underground on the site of the current LU station on the west side of Moorfields. This would involve Crossrail buying all of 17-31 Moorfields. They would demolish the existing building (preserving access via the escalator), build half the station, and at the north end of the site build two lifts and a staircase up to the Highwalk. Once these were built they would then close the existing escalators and build the rest of the station. In both options the ramp would stay in its current position. In both options Crossrail will hoard off the buildings between Moorfields and Moorgate because they are building the station shaft there (irrespective of where the ticket hall is). Demolishing would start summer 2010. Issues a) We don’t want to lose escalators. So if they move the access to the Highwalk, could we have an escalator as well as lifts? b) Consider moving the ramp to be next to the other means of access c) The passage on the Highwalk from the new position of the lifts/stairs/escalators narrows to about 12 feet at one point – pinch point? d) Crossrail haven’t got a partner developer for the site yet, so the plan for access to the Highwalk could change yet again once a developer/partner comes on board 2) General information given at Barbican area Forum This was attended by lots of Crossrail people, City officers, members, BA and RCC and house group representatives, Arts Centre representative, and the odd small business in Moorfields. The Forum will meet roughly every six months. 2010 in this area Crossrail are doing procurement, enabling works, and demolition. The trains will operate in 2017. Two weeks before any major works leaflets will be distributed to premises nearby, and there’s a section on Crossrail’s website called “Near You” to tell people about work near them. There’s also a 24/7 helpline, for any questions complaints. At the east end of Farringdon Station work on demolishing the block between Hayne Street and Lindsey Street will begin in March 2010 and finish at the end of 2010. Traffic will go into and out of Lindsey Street; about 20 vehicles a day (40-50 at peak times) In 2011 shafts will be built at Hayne Street and by the existing Farringdon station to carry enable the entrance and exit of a tunnel boring machine specifically to build Farringdon’s platforms. The main tunnels will be bored from Royal Oak in the west and from the Limmo peninsular in the east, with spoil being taken out at both ends. The tunnel boring machines meet at Farringdon. Hours of work across all Crossrail sites will be 8-6, and 8-1 on Saturday morning The issues around the Moorfields end of Liverpool Station were also discussed and the same points about escalators were made. Crossrail expect to make a decision about what option to take over the station in 4-6 weeks. The next meeting of the Forum will cover: Tunnelling, traffic management, Finsbury Circus, the role of the complaints commissioner 3 March 2010 Update from 2005 when Crossrail proposal reached Parliament Crossrail - BA's petition Latest Update posted 29 August In May 2006 Crossrail published revised proposals for the scheme, as it affects the Barbican Estate. The new scheme confirmed the expectation that the crossover cavern was to move from underneath Defoe House to a location underneath the Eastern lake, between Gilbert House and Willoughby House. In addition, the change of crossover cavern location rendered unnecessary the worksite to support a shaft at the junction of Aldersgate St and Beech St. Both the shaft and attendant worksite have become redundant with the relocation of the cavern. The relocation of the cavern has given rise to issues for residents in Willoughby and Andrewes Houses. For Willoughby, a worksite is proposed for Moor Lane, overlooked by the Willoughby House bedrooms. For Andrewes House, there is the potential need for grouting shafts to be cut through the concrete floor of the residents car park underneath the building. Both operations have the potential for noise, dust and vibration effects. A further Petition has been lodged with the Parliamentary Bills Office raising a number of objections to the new scheme. It is hoped that there will be further amelioration of the proposals with a view to securing the ultimate objective of a scheme we can all, quite literally, live with. It is now 99% certain that the crossover cavern under Defoe will not be needed, along with the Aldersgate St worksite for constructing the cavern. However, a crossover cavern is still needed and will almost certainly be east of Gilbert House, under the lake and Willoughby House. Spoil will come up at Finsbury Circus, but two small shafts will be needed just east of Willoughby House. Aldersgate St/Beech St will still be dug up, possibly for years, due to the need to redirect utilities and sewers. In the meantime, the Select Committee hearings have started and we won’t know for sure that the Defoe crossover is dead until late February, as the change has to be blessed by ministers who should be ready to decide by then. The BA has to date spent approximately £8,000 on professional fees in dealing with this on behalf of residents. ------------------------ The Hybrid Crossrail Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday 19th July 2005 and was passed by a majority of 394 – 24. Speaking in the debate Mark Field referred to the “dozens of letters” that he had received expressing the concerns of Barbican residents regarding “the effect on the structural integrity of the estate due to the proposed tunnelling works and particularly from the proposed construction of the cross-over cavern under the estate”. He also noted residents concerns in the short term about “the environmental impact of the noise, dust, vibration and traffic congestion … which are inevitable in any Crossrail development work” He proposed that the “Bill should contain rules that will constrain construction activities to offer no less protection than those that apply to other contractors working in the City of London”. Following the second reading the Bill now passes to the Select Committee stage and we have to submit our petition by 16th September. The matters which will be addressed in our petition were outlined in the last newsletter and there has not been any substantial change over the last few weeks. We have raised a number of questions with Crossrail about the Crossover Cavern and related environmental issues. In their response they have confirmed that they are still evaluating the alternative crossover layout and location which may replace the cavern plan but that it will be some weeks until they are able to assess this work and make a decision on this alternative. There are still a number of questions relating to noise, air quality and vibration issues which they have not yet answered. We hope to arrange a further meeting with Crossrail before the petitioning deadline to address these issues and then to amend our draft petition if necessary. Once the petition has been finalised it will be made available to all interested residents – probably in a special newsletter in September. The Corporation will also be petitioning on the Crossrail Bill and many of our concerns are reflected in the points that they will raise. However we have expressed concerns to the Corporation that they have not supported our opposition to the Crossover Cavern. Their petition will object to the Concrete batching plant which is proposed for Aldersgate Street but not to the cavern itself. We are grateful that the Barbican Residential Committee addressed the issue of the Crossover Cavern at its recent meeting and will be pressing the Planning Dept to amend the Corporation’s petition. Meanwhile we will continue our efforts to persuade Crossrail and the Corporation to drop the proposal for the Crossover Cavern and the attendant worksite in Aldersgate Street which is the major part of our opposition. Many of the environmental issues of concern to us are also being raised by many other parties who will petition against the Bill, and it will be interesting to see how all of this develops during the Summer. Many thanks to the residents who wrote, as requested, to our representatives and who provided copies of the replies they received. We will keep you informed of any major developments, and will let you know should we need to call on you for further support.